Chapter 5
A couple of days later Vince was working in his office, as usual he was getting prepared for a late night, he had a pile of paperwork as tall as him that he still had to do.
Meanwhile, Linda was at home doing some paperwork, however she was interrupted by a knock at the front door. She sighed as she got up to answer it.
She walked down the hall and slowly opened the door.
"Hi mom," Shane stood there holding Declan in his arms.
Linda smiled, the first genuine smile she had given to anyone in days, she was always pleased to see Shane and her grandson, they and Stephanie was the only reason she carried on with life some days, that and the faint hope that the man she married would one day come back to her, but that hope was fading by the day.
"Hi sweetheart," she said as Shane kissed her on the cheek. "How are my two little boys?" she asked as she took Declan from Shane and kissed him. Declan smiled and gurgled at her, he knew who she was.
"Well that little boy is nothing but trouble but this one standing is as good as gold." Shane smiled.
"I highly doubt that." She said laughing. "Has Marissa chucked you out to get some peace and quiet?"
Shane shook his head, "No, she's working late tonight; it's been arranged for weeks so..."
Linda eyed him suspiciously and finished his sentence for him. "You want some dinner?"
Shane had a look of fake shock on his face and clutched at his chest jokingly. "Mother, how could you think that of your one and only son? It hurts; I only came to see you."
Linda laughed, "Its ok, and it'll be nice to have some company."
Shane turned serious then, "What is Dad still at work?" he frowned.
Linda nodded. "As per normal, I'm used to it."
Shane shook his head and studied her, she looked older and the pain in her eyes was clear to see. "Are you alright?" He was worried about her, it finally looked as though the past few years with his father had taken its toll.
Linda nodded, she always tried to hide it but lately she wasn't doing that good a job of it and she knew it.
Shane exhaled deeply. "No your not and you haven't been for years, it's only really been showing these past few months though."
They were in the living room and she put Declan down on the floor to crawl around, she put her head in her hands.
"I don't know how much longer I can stick this Shane, I've tried, honest to God I've tried my hardest but I can't do it for much longer. I need him to come out of this, I want my husband back."
Shane walked over to her and gently put his arms around her, he spoke gently. "Mom, I think you know that he's gone and he's not going to come back. I don't want to see you guys split up, you're my parents for god's sake but you deserve to be happy, you both do. You deserve more than he's willing to give mom. I don't know if anything can make dad happy anymore, we've all tried but nothings worked. Perhaps we could understand if he actually lost the case, but he didn't, he won. And only dad knows why he's so depressed, you have tried harder than anyone to help him but I don't think even dad knows why he's like this and deep down, I think he knows he's that close," Shane put his fingers a centimeter apart, "to losing you."
Linda looked at him, "why doesn't he do anything about it?"
Shane shook his head and choose his next words carefully. "Mom, I don't think Dad knows how to stop himself from losing you."
A couple of days later Vince was working in his office, as usual he was getting prepared for a late night, he had a pile of paperwork as tall as him that he still had to do.
Meanwhile, Linda was at home doing some paperwork, however she was interrupted by a knock at the front door. She sighed as she got up to answer it.
She walked down the hall and slowly opened the door.
"Hi mom," Shane stood there holding Declan in his arms.
Linda smiled, the first genuine smile she had given to anyone in days, she was always pleased to see Shane and her grandson, they and Stephanie was the only reason she carried on with life some days, that and the faint hope that the man she married would one day come back to her, but that hope was fading by the day.
"Hi sweetheart," she said as Shane kissed her on the cheek. "How are my two little boys?" she asked as she took Declan from Shane and kissed him. Declan smiled and gurgled at her, he knew who she was.
"Well that little boy is nothing but trouble but this one standing is as good as gold." Shane smiled.
"I highly doubt that." She said laughing. "Has Marissa chucked you out to get some peace and quiet?"
Shane shook his head, "No, she's working late tonight; it's been arranged for weeks so..."
Linda eyed him suspiciously and finished his sentence for him. "You want some dinner?"
Shane had a look of fake shock on his face and clutched at his chest jokingly. "Mother, how could you think that of your one and only son? It hurts; I only came to see you."
Linda laughed, "Its ok, and it'll be nice to have some company."
Shane turned serious then, "What is Dad still at work?" he frowned.
Linda nodded. "As per normal, I'm used to it."
Shane shook his head and studied her, she looked older and the pain in her eyes was clear to see. "Are you alright?" He was worried about her, it finally looked as though the past few years with his father had taken its toll.
Linda nodded, she always tried to hide it but lately she wasn't doing that good a job of it and she knew it.
Shane exhaled deeply. "No your not and you haven't been for years, it's only really been showing these past few months though."
They were in the living room and she put Declan down on the floor to crawl around, she put her head in her hands.
"I don't know how much longer I can stick this Shane, I've tried, honest to God I've tried my hardest but I can't do it for much longer. I need him to come out of this, I want my husband back."
Shane walked over to her and gently put his arms around her, he spoke gently. "Mom, I think you know that he's gone and he's not going to come back. I don't want to see you guys split up, you're my parents for god's sake but you deserve to be happy, you both do. You deserve more than he's willing to give mom. I don't know if anything can make dad happy anymore, we've all tried but nothings worked. Perhaps we could understand if he actually lost the case, but he didn't, he won. And only dad knows why he's so depressed, you have tried harder than anyone to help him but I don't think even dad knows why he's like this and deep down, I think he knows he's that close," Shane put his fingers a centimeter apart, "to losing you."
Linda looked at him, "why doesn't he do anything about it?"
Shane shook his head and choose his next words carefully. "Mom, I don't think Dad knows how to stop himself from losing you."